Frances Lederer, from 1958's The Return Of Dracula. While not a world class movie, it was a very sinister one-off perfromance that in many ways may have influenced Dan Curtis to create Barnabas Collins for Dark Shadows.

Let's compare:

Both Bellac and Barnabas Collins were relatives from "the old world", although Bellac was impersonating.

Both caused their family's wonder at their nocturnal preferences as opposed to daytime visits. And last, both displayed very polite (though pointed) manners, and did\said just enough to convince their families of their legitimacy, though not w\o it's doubts.

Return Of Dracula isn't a great movie, but a very good one that deserves watching.

I couldn't even finish the Jack Palance DRACULA. Lugosi is the classic, but I still loved Gary Oldman's version, and he certainly matched the descriptions in the book better. Incredible film.

Agree 100% with your assessment of Gary Oldman's Dracula. It brought a very unique set of cards to the movie table in terms of a more faithful look at the book's aspect the character. The Gothic atmosphere was undeniably thick as well.

And, in many ways, I feel that this version was the final one, in terms of it never being able to be topped on a number of cinematic levels.

For me its a toss up between Christopher Lee and Bela. I think Bela was the better voice and actor, but Christopher lee had a amazing presence about him. Its a shame his booming voice didn't get used much in his Dracula films. Oh and where is John Carridine?

Lugosi without a doubt. His performance in the role is the most enduring by far. Max Shreck was awesome as Nosferatu too. Right behind them is Christopher Lee for me, adding even more fang and bite to the character. John Carradine was terrific in the role too I agree. Francis Lederer did fine too as did Jack Palance. I'll always love Lon Chaney Jr. as Count Alucard in Son of Dracula but his Wolf Man is much more the character I think of when I think of him. I liked Frank Langella too...he wasn't too bad either IMO.

As AJB pointed out in another thread, DRACULA (1931) is creaky, imperfect... stagy (Dracula actually dies off screen...!!) There's "snatches" of Swan Lake in the score... frankly, this movie'd be a bore... except for BELA LUGOSI's performance. It is monumental. It is stunning. He lifted a kinda dumb movie adaptation of a kinda dumb novel (yes I've read it letters and diary entries...) ...and created an icon. BELA LUGOSIisDRACULA.

GARY OLDMAN's version has much to its credit... the accent OLDMAN uses quite believably and effectively... the "steampunk" art direction of BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA feels authentic to anyone who's read the novel. It's worth pointing out that Dracula in the novel has a white mustache and is not a sex object in any apparent sense. All of the movies make us much more privy to the goings on than STOKER's novel ('least... that's the way I remember it...)

You guys all need to find the LOUIS JOURDAN version made for BBC in the late 1970s... he also crawls down the wall!! Anyone who read the novel was impressed by that scene.

I'll write in Max Schreck, even though his character wasn't called "Dracula."

I second that vote!

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"On a mountain of skulls in a castle of pain, I sat on a throne of blood. What was will be, what is will be no more. Now is the season of evil." - Vigo (former Carpathian warlord and one-time Slayer lyric-writer)